Page 205 of Titus

It wasn’t the physical attraction. Christ, I’d been attracted to women before. That wasn’t new. What was new was looking forward to seeing someone, wanting to tell them things, wanting them beside me when something happened, and missing them when they weren’t there.

Every conversation with her left me wanting another. Every argument somehow ended with me smiling. Every challenge made me respect her more. Every rejection only made me more curious.

And somewhere along the way, without realizing it, she’d become my favorite part of each day.

It was almost funny. Forty years of my father’s lessons hadn’t kept me away from her. In the end, it took one of his crimes to do what his lessons couldn’t.

I knew Catalina was everything that man never wanted me to know or feel in this world. And good. I hoped he had a decent view of me from hell. Because for the first time in my life, I knew with absolute certainty which one of us had been right.

I’d been in here a week, and there still wasn’t a damn thing giving me hope they could prove I had no knowledge of my father’s transgressions.

“Hawk!” a voice boomed from the other side of the small window of the door.

“Yes.”

“You have a visitor.”

It wasn’t hard to guess who it could be. Either my attorneys or my brothers.

“Who?” I gave my usual reply.

“Catalina Veléz.”

CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX

I stared through the windshield at the concrete buildings beyond the fence. I stayed quiet as Marcus drove the SUV through the gates, bringing us closer to where they were holding Titus.

“Damn,” I said, shaking my head. “I can’t believe he’s actually in there.”

Marcus followed my gaze toward the facility. “I can assure you he can’t believe he’s in there either.”

A humorless laugh escaped me. “Somehow, it’s worse just knowing that.”

“He’ll adapt.”

I looked over. “You sound very certain about that.”

“I am,” he said. “Titus has spent his entire life solving problems.”

“I know, but this isn’t exactly a business problem.”

“No, it’s not.” Marcus nodded. “It’s worse.”

Gee, I feel so much better. Apparently, he recognized my expression, and the corner of his mouth twitched.

“This place gives me the creeps,” I said, looking back toward the razor wire and guard towers. “It feels…” I searched for the word, “…wrong.”

“That’s because it’s supposed to,” he answered. “The government doesn’t build facilities like this to make people comfortable.”

“Mission accomplished.”

That earned the faintest hint of a smile.

“You’re not helping, Marcus.”

“Actually, I am.” Marcus leaned back against the seat. “What you’re seeing isn’t prison.”

“Sure as shit looks like it to me…”